What Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency does

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) is the statutorily designated public housing authority for Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee, established in 1938 as the Nashville Housing Authority and renamed in 1973. The agency administers a portfolio of nearly 40 affordable housing properties with more than 6,600 apartments (primarily under Project-Based Rental Assistance), distributes nearly 8,000 Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), and oversees 11 redevelopment districts guiding urban development across Nashville's core. MDHA also administers HUD formula grants on behalf of Metro Government, including CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA, serving roughly 30,000 Nashvillians and 9,100+ families annually.

Revenue is derived from three streams: federal HUD funding (Section 8, public housing operating subsidy, and Community Planning and Development grants), rental income from public housing residents (who pay 30-40% of adjusted income or a minimum of $50/month), and tax-incentive administration through the PILOT program (Payment in Lieu of Taxes), which has helped create or preserve approximately 12,000 affordable housing units at 50+ developments since 2016. Residents access services through a waiting-list application system and an online property portal powered by RentCafe; landlords participate via a Section 8 landlord portal.

Major current initiatives include the Cayce Transformation (a 63-acre, 2,390-unit mixed-income redevelopment in East Nashville), the Napier and Sudekum Transformation (a HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative covering up to 2,100 mixed-use apartments with a 4-acre park), the Second Avenue Rebuild following the December 2020 bombing, and ongoing resident services through the MDHA VOICE Center including workforce development, financial literacy, and the Family Self-Sufficiency Program. MDHA is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Metro Council, and operates with approximately 300 staff on an annual budget of $215 million.

Name

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency

Legal name

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency

Website

https://nashville-mdha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MDHA is Nashville-Davidson County's public housing authority, administering nearly 40 affordable housing properties, ~8,000 Section 8 vouchers, and major mixed-income urban redevelopment projects serving approximately 30,000 low- and moderate-income residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Housing Assistance: MDHA receives federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer housing assistance programs including Section 8 vouchers and public housing operations. The agency also administers HUD-funded Community Planning and Development programs including CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA on behalf of Metro Nashville.
2. Rental Income: Rent payments from residents in public housing properties. Residents pay between 30-40 percent of their adjusted income or a minimum of $50 per month for rent and utilities.
3. Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT): MDHA oversees a PILOT program which has helped create and preserve approximately 12,000 affordable housing units at more than 50 developments since its inception in 2016. This generates revenue through tax incentives for developers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) is the public housing authority for Nashville-Davidson County, operating approximately 40 affordable rental properties comprising more than 6,600 housing units and administering roughly 8,000 Housing Choice (Section 8) vouchers. It provides rental assistance, public housing, community development programs, home repair services, and neighborhood redevelopment initiatives serving approximately 30,000 Nashvillians, funded through a roughly $215 million annual budget supported by federal HUD grants and rental income.

Product overview

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) operates as a housing authority for Nashville and Davidson County, providing quality affordable housing opportunities through a portfolio of properties and rental assistance programs. The core offerings include nearly 40 affordable housing properties (over 6,600 units), the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) administering nearly 8,000 vouchers, and community development programs funded by HUD including CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA. MDHA also manages major transformation initiatives like the Cayce Transformation (mixed-income development) and Napier/Sudekum Transformation, urban development through 11 redevelopment districts, the Second Avenue Rebuild project, and the PILOT financial incentive program. Resident support services include Family Self-Sufficiency, Work Readiness, Financial Freedom Workshop, and home repair programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Houses approximately 30,000 people through nearly 8,000 Section 8 vouchers and 6,600+ apartments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Meharry Medical College School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2026Meharry Medical College partners with MDHA through the LYDIA Society program, providing educational workshops in writing, technology, and health for teenage girls living at MDHA properties. The partnership includes Dr. Leah Alexander-Otukpe and the Meharry Medical College Master of Public Health program.
• LYDIA Society PartnersminorOthers · 26 April 2026The LYDIA Society Trumpet Ball was made possible through partnerships between MDHA, Meharry Medical College School of Public Health (Vaccine for All), Metropolitan Trustee Erica S. Gilmore, Resident Associations at MDHA properties, and Nurses Middle College Nashville.
• AmazonminorOthers · 28 March 2024Amazon participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for Cherry Oak Apartments at Cayce Place in March 2024. Representatives from Amazon joined Congressman John Rose, Mayor Freddie O'Connell, and MDHA officials at the grand opening celebration.
• Martha O'Bryan CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2016In July 2016, Nashville was awarded a Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant with MDHA as lead grantee and Martha O'Bryan Center as co-grantee. Together they developed a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plan for Napier Place, Sudekum Apartments and surrounding area, with Martha O'Bryan Center providing community services and support.
• Metro Office of Homeless ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMDHA refers individuals experiencing homelessness to the Metro Office of Homeless Services for Coordinated Entry assessment and connection to housing resources. OHS coordinates the process to ensure people in housing crisis have access to resources based on prioritization.
• MDHA VOICE Center PartnerscoreOthersThe MDHA VOICE Center hosts multiple partner organizations including Nashville Strong Babies, Dominion Financial Management Inc., Urban League of Middle Tennessee, TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Oasis Youth Drop-In Center, and Meharry School of Global Health to provide comprehensive services to residents and community members.
• Nashville After Zone Alliance (NAZA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMDHA's CDBG funding supports summer youth programs administered through NAZA, which coordinates summer programs for youth ages 6-18 in Nashville. Nearly 1,500 children and teens participate in these CDBG-funded enrichment programs annually.
• Reeves YoungcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReeves Young was selected as Construction Manager at Risk for the Second Avenue Rebuild project. The company is managing the multi-year construction project on behalf of MDHA following the December 2020 bombing.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• The NHP Foundation: National nonprofit acquirer/operator of affordable housing using LIHTC and public/private partnerships — overlaps with MDHA's affordable and mixed-income development mission, though operating as a private nonprofit rather than a public authority.

Direct peers

• San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA): Mid-sized municipal housing authority managing public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and mixed-finance redevelopment — comparable in size and operational scope to MDHA.
• Chicago Housing Authority (CHA): Major municipal housing authority administering tens of thousands of public housing units and Housing Choice Vouchers, with active mixed-income redevelopment (Plan for Transformation) — closely mirrors MDHA's structure and programs.
• Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA): County-level housing authority administering Section 8, public housing, and community development block grants across Los Angeles County — a direct functional peer in HUD program administration and affordable housing operations.
• New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA): Largest public housing authority in the U.S., administering Section 8, public housing, and redevelopment programs across New York City — directly comparable in mission, federal funding structure, and program portfolio to MDHA.
• Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta (AH): Atlanta's housing authority operating public housing, Section 8 vouchers, and mixed-income redevelopment initiatives — comparable in scale, mission, and HUD-dependent funding model to MDHA.

Others

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Federal regulator and primary funder of every program MDHA administers (Section 8, CDBG, HOME, ESG, HOPWA) — included as the upstream policy and capital counterpart rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit developer and financer of affordable and mixed-income housing — comparable in community development, LIHTC deployment, and affordable housing creation mission, but at national scale rather than single-metro.

Regional players

• Memphis Housing Authority: Tennessee's other major public housing authority serving Memphis and Shelby County with public housing, Section 8, and redevelopment programs — comparable mission and HUD funding model, but operating in a different Tennessee metro market.
• Knoxville's Community Development Corporation (KCDC): Tennessee public housing authority serving Knoxville, operating public housing, Section 8, and mixed-income communities — directly comparable in Tennessee public-housing-authority operations, though in a separate geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NashvilleMDHA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NashvilleMDHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/NashvilleMDHA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metropolitan-development-and-housing-agency
• Instagraminstagram.com/nashvillemdha

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency